An Unlikely Partnership
by dharkcharlotte
Summary: Libraries usually weren't a dangerous place to be...


An Unlikely Partnership

galorechallenge on Livejournal

SPN/HP

Hermione/John - family, research, magic, love, night,

Due : Aug 1

Title: An Unlikely Partnership

Prompt: Hermione/John - family, research, magic, love, night I think I hit them all… if you look at it crosseyed

Rating: PG  
Summary: Libraries usually weren't a dangerous place to be.  
Characters: Hermione Granger, John Winchester, Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester  
Pairing: None  
Warnings/Spoilers: None.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

This trip was beyond frustrating. Of the books on his list, the library here in town only had one of them shelved. The only information the librarian would give him was that they weren't checked out so someone probably had them at one of the many tables dotted around the building. He hadn't heard of any other Hunters in the area, so it was strange that someone would want those particular books.

The local papers had reported several mysterious deaths and other than the symptoms, the only common factor was they had all visited the local woodland parks. Although, to call it a park was like calling Lake Michigan a 'pond'. It was an actual forest, thick and dense. A perfect background for any number of Supernatural creatures.

There were two tables in the back and one was empty so John sat down and opened it. After scanning several pages, he knew he was wasting his time. There was a bump against the back of his chair and then a startled "Oh Dear!" right before something heavy smacked him on the back of the head. Whatever hit him was heavy enough to make him see stars and so he didn't see the actual offending item as it fell to the table.

"Sorry! Sorry, are you all right?" A sweet, softly accented voice asked him in a worried tone. There was a light touch on the back of his head. The pounding in his skull was pretty loud so he wasn't quite sure if he hard heard her mumble something else. The pain eased abruptly and he looked up into a pair of worried brown eyes framed by a halo of wild brown hair.

"Are you alright? I'm so sorry about that. I always try to carry too many books." She was so earnest and an image of Sam at twelve flashed through his mind. John's heart clenched and he felt a brief moment of regret which he repressed with brutal efficiency.

There was another touch to the back of his head and she spoke again. "I didn't think you were hurt that badly. Should I call a doctor?"

John shook his head and smiled sheepishly. "No, I'm okay. You just reminded me of my son for a minute." He picked the book up and started to hand it to her. "Here's your…" he read the title and damned if it wasn't one of the ones he was looking for. Sharp eyes passed over the stack she had sat on his table and he realized that she was the reason he couldn't find the books he needed.

She watched him curiously as he read the titles. Normally someone with what seemed to be an obsession with the occult would become nervous under his pointed inspection of their reference materials, but she merely smiled softly, still obviously concerned for his well being.

"That's an unusual collection of occult books you got there. Are you working on some sort of research paper for school?"

"Not really, I'm visiting relatives and their idea of entertainment is watching the latest episode of 'Ghost Hunters'. I just finished with the local history books and noticed their collection of occult material. Most of this is probably a joke as far as reference materials are concerned." Her eyes widened and a flush crept up her neck. "Did you want some of these? I'll be happy to share. May I join you?" She held out her hand. "Hermione Granger."

He watched her carefully as he took her hand and shook it. "John Winchester. Christo." He winced when he realized that last part had come out louder than intended.

She looked shocked for a moment and then curious. "Pardon me but, is your name John Winchester Christo, or did you just call out God's name for some other reason?"

John flushed, and feeling more than a little uncomfortable, he wondered how he could get out of this gracefully and not draw attention.

A smile bloomed across her face. "Oh! I get it. You thought I was some sort of demon or possessed or something right?" She sat down and continued her questioning. "Are you one of those ghost hunter chaps, like on the telly?"

He snorted derisively. "Something like that."

She flashed him a smile. "Oh, well then let's get these sorted."

She started moving books around on the table and John didn't notice until she had it open that she managed to get a hold of his notebook.

His fingers clenched and he looked around for witnesses, hoping he could snatch it and run before anyone noticed. Maybe he could call Ellen and let her know someone else needed to come out here.

"Look at this! This certainly isn't a library book is it? It's wonderful and just look at the lovely binding…" Her eyes were glowing with admiration. "Is this yours? Did you put all of this information in it? Oh… well, that's not accurate at all."

His attention caught he leaned toward her. "What's not accurate?"

She pointed to a page. "Is this a precise drawing of the creature?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Because while 'fire snake' would be a commonly misused description, this is actually an Ashwinder. The snake isn't the true cause of the fires. It's their eggs. The eggs are very useful for… never mind. They must be frozen within twenty four hours of laying or they catch fire. Very strange I know. The snakes actually hatch within a magical fire, so why on earth would it lay its eggs in something other than a heat source? Magical creatures are usually without logical reason I'm afraid."

A flush crept up her face again when she saw the man staring at her with a mixture of astonishment and wariness. "Oh, sorry. I tend to lecture at times so please forgive me if I've bored you."

"Oh, you didn't bore me at all. I'm very interested in how you came by this information."

"Private school."

"Must be an interesting place to get an education."

He eyes were sad as she answered him. "Yes it was, most of the time."

John really wanted to know more, but an uncomfortable silence fell between them until she looked about the room and then leaned in. "Do you only hunt ghosts?"

Her eager tone set him on edge. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you see, there've been several strange deaths in the last month. All the normal explanations have been ruled out. My uncle is a physician at the hospital you see. I'm thinking it could be some sort of creature. All of the victims visited the park."

"Why are you telling me about it?"

The look she gave him was tinged with disappointment and he actually felt bad when he realized his tone was anything but polite.

Hermione shook her head sadly. "I guess I was wrong about you." She looked at her watch. "Goodness, I'm late." She pushed his notebook toward his side of the table and stood. It only took a moment for her to grab her bag and she left with a hurried, "Please excuse me."

John was at a loss as he watched her stop at the front desk to speak with the attendant. She stiffened as if she could feel his eyes on her and walked out the door with a rigid gait. The feeling low in his gut told him she could have been at the least, a valuable source of information. Information that was severely lacking in this town.

Additional research seemed a waste of time so he grabbed his notebook and headed to the door, hoping Miss Granger would still be in sight when he exited the building. Which, of course, she wasn't. He went back inside and flashed the elderly attendant his most charming smile. Thank goodness he had remembered to get his hair cut and beard trimmed yesterday. It didn't take long before he had the name of the family she was staying with. By the time he found the house, it was dusk and he sat in his truck across the street, watching for movement.

It wasn't until full dark that he saw a figure creep around the side of the house and he chuckled to himself when it passed under the lamppost. Miss Granger was dressed in all black, including a watchcap stuffed over her mass of hair. There was a backpack over her shoulder and a long stick clasped in her right hand. He got out of the truck as quietly as possible and grabbed his satchel of weapons before following her into the trees. The moon was bright overhead so all he really needed to do was follow the soft glow illuminating her path as the young woman stepped carefully along the path. They must have gone a half mile before she stopped and tilted her head as if listening intently.

A sudden silence fell over the forest and the hairs on John's entire body rose when he watched her turn and stare at something behind him. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of him and she mouthed 'Don't move'. She slowly and carefully pulled a paper bag out of her pack and waved it around before throwing it as far away as she could. The sound of many feet scrabbling sent cold shivers up his spine and the dark shape that moved passed his peripheral vision prompted the worst gut wrenching fear he'd experienced in a long time.

A big fucking spider, it just had to be a giant spider. The girl was moving his way fast and she hissed, "Come on!" as she passed him. He really didn't need the prompting; he just didn't want to leave her behind since she had just saved his bacon. How could something that big move so silently?

After what seemed like an eternity, _'Dammit he was getting too old for this'_, they broke the tree line and she whirled on him, smacking his flushed face before he could defend himself.

She let loose with a very inventive stream of profanity that would have impressed even the most crusty marine. Hey, he was impressed. Which was why he wasn't really serious about shooting her, he just aimed his weapon in her general vicinity and waited for her to stop ranting.

She stopped to take a breath and for the first time, noticed what he was doing. "You're pointing a gun at me? Fan-bloody-tastic! Not only did you insult my intelligence this afternoon, you wrecked my only chance at catching a juvenile Acromantula. You think shooting me is a good way to thank me for saving your sorry arse?"

"You're actually trying to capture that thing? It's killing people and you want to... What put it in a zoo or something?"

"No, not a zoo. A protected environment where it can live without being a danger to people."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because it's a child. What if you had a child that, through no fault of his own, was a danger to those around him. Would you just kill him or do whatever you could to save him?"

A chill washed over John and he could feel the blood rush from his face. What she asked him was something he had been wrestling with for months since he found out the Demon's purpose for the children like Sam. His voice rasped out, "What are you talking about?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm talking about saving people's lives Mr. Winchester, including a semi-sentient juvenile Acromantula. They can learn to talk you know. If you teach them early. It's like talking to a three year old but communication is possible." She watched him curiously. "Is this something you do on a regular basis? Follow young women home from the library?"

This young woman was making his head spin. "Miss Granger…"

"Hermione."

"Hermione. I honestly didn't want your family to think I was some dirty old man trying to pick up women at the library." She laughed. "I apologize for insulting you earlier. There aren't many people I can trust and it usually takes more than a concussion and a ten minute conversation to accomplish that."

"Oh, well then. Would you be willing to help me tomorrow night?"

"What makes you think you can actually catch this giant spider without ending up like its other victims?"

"Because this is my job. I catch magical creatures if they become a danger to the population. If the creature is beyond help, then it is dealt with in the most humane way possible."

"What about the people you are staying with? Do they know what it is that you do?"

"Oh no. With the exception of my parents, my extended family has no idea that I'm a Witch."

"Y-you're a what?"

"I suppose that telling you wouldn't do any harm, since you are already aware of the supernatural." She looked around the yard. "Why don't we go to the diner by the highway and I'll answer whatever questions I can. Alright?"

John wondered if he would live to regret this and agreed to meet her at the suggested public meeting place. Hermione was waiting for him when he arrived and he made a mental note to ask her how she managed that.

**SPN/HP/SPN/HP/SPN/HP/SPN**

"Your father never mentioned me?"

"No."

"But… there's no reference to our hunts in his notebook or my contact information?"

"No."

"May I see it?"

"Why?"

"I want to test it for magical residue."

"Why would you need to do that?"

"Because your father and I are friends. We hunted together. I even acquired a cell phone so that he could call me if he needed my assistance. He's not been answering his phone,"

The brothers shared a pain filled glance.

"And if I'm not in his notebook then my employers must have found out about our connection."

Hermione suspected whatever they hadn't told her was bad. "Please? I want to make things right."

Sam handed the book over reluctantly.

A whispered charm confirmed her fears. The situation reeked of a poor 'Obilviate' procedure.

The resulting stream of curses convinced Dean she really had spent a significant amount of time with John Winchester.

END

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